HOUSTON -- Let’s get one thing out of the way first: the Red Sox’ bullpen has been good -- and sometimes great -- so far in October.
Though six postseason games, Boston’s relievers own a 3.57 ERA while combining for 35 ⅓ innings, which is by far the most of any playoff team in baseball. Of the eight bullpens that reached the division series, Boston’s ranks second in both WHIP (0.99) and opponent average (.211). The group was instrumental in the club’s Wild Card Game win over the Yankees and the three wins over the Rays in the ALDS.
But cracks are starting to show. In three straight games, the Sox’ bullpen has blown early leads. In Games 3 and 4 against Tampa Bay, Boston was able to recover and walk off with wins. That wasn’t the case Friday night in a 5-4 loss to the Astros.
In Game 3 of the ALDS, Boston led 4-2 before Hansel Robles allowed the Rays to tie the game with a two-run eighth inning. In Game 4, Boston led 5-3 before Wander Franco hit a two-run homer off Tanner Houck in the sixth inning and Ryan Brasier gave up two more runs as Tampa Bay tied the game two innings later. On Friday at Minute Maid Park, it was Houck (allowed a game-tying, two-run shot to Jose Altuve) and Robles (gave up the go-ahead solo shot to Carlos Correa) who blew it.
With Matt Barnes and Garrett Richards both out of the picture and Adam Ottavino having fallen down the depth chart, Robles and Brasier emerged as Alex Cora’s top two setup options ahead of quasi-closer Garrett Whitlock and Houck -- a starter by trade -- became the swiss-army knife of the staff. All three righties earned their spots inside the circle of trust with strong late-season performances that carried into the playoffs but have come back down to earth in recent outings.
Robles ended the regular season with 15 straight scoreless outings (13 ⅔ innings) and was spotless in his first two postseason appearances but has given up a homer in each of his last two times out. Brasier ended his season with 7 ⅔ scoreless innings after a four-day stint with the WooSox, then struck out four in 2 ⅔ innings to start the playoffs before his dud in Game 4. Houck retired 30 straight batters over a four-outing span but has now given up a homer in each of the last three innings he has pitched.
It’s a small sample size, but those recent results are concerning, especially considering how short Boston’s bullpen looks on paper. Hirokazu Sawamura and Darwinzon Hernandez, who were left off the ALDS roster, aren’t going to be called upon in the highest-leverage spots. Josh Taylor doesn’t seem 100% after missing the last week of the season with a low back strain and Martín Pérez seems ticketed as mop-up guy at this point. That puts a lot of pressure on Brasier, Ottavino, Robles, Houck and Whitlock -- along with the “rovers” (starters working in relief roles on their off days). Nick Pivetta and Eduardo Rodriguez will likely pitch big innings late in games against Houston.
An easy way for the Sox’ to alleviate the bullpen’s workload would be to have starters pitch deeper into games. But that’s counter-intuitive to Cora’s uber-aggressive October managerial style, which has worked wonders in his first 20 career postseason games (he’s 15-5).
“It’s hard, but we’ve done it before, so we just are going to keep doing that,” Cora said. “Of course, we want our starters to go deeper in the game, but we feel like today we were very close to pulling this off pitching-wise.”
On Friday, starter Chris Sale went just 2 ⅔ innings before handing the reins over to the bullpen for 19 outs. The lefty was the first to admit it was a tall task for his teammates.
“When you’re asking your bullpen to go out there and throw seven innings and zeroes, that’s a lot,” Sale said. “When you’re asking for four, three, sometimes, even five, it’s tough. I think next time out, I’ve got to get a little bit more length in there and give those guys a little bit more leniency. That’s a lot of game to throw zeroes up. It’s tough. I think they did an incredible job anyways, regardless of the outcome. I just put a little bit too much on their plate tonight and that’s on me.”
A best-of-seven series is a a different animal altogether from a one-game playoff, and it’s not even the same as a best-of-five set. To reach the World Series, the Sox will need to win four of their next six games, and the bullpen needs to step up.
If all goes to plan for Boston, the relief corps will have a light workload Saturday afternoon. Nathan Eovaldi, who has gone at least five innings in his first two postseason starts, will try to give the Sox some much-needed length after they cycled through seven relievers Friday night.
“I don’t think there’s another guy on the planet I’d rather be pitching tomorrow than Nate,” Sale said. “You look at what he has done this year, you look at his postseason resumé. The guy stacks up with anybody, honestly.”
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